Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (4 April 1932 – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet
and Russian film-maker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera
director.

Tarkovsky's films include Ivan's Childhood, Andrei Rublev, Solaris, The
Mirror, and Stalker. He directed the first five of his seven feature films in
the Soviet Union; his last two films, Nostalghia, and The Sacrifice, were
produced in Italy and Sweden, respectively. His work is characterized by
spirituality and metaphysical themes, long takes, lack of conventional dramatic
structure, and distinctively authored use of cinematography. He is widely
regarded as one of the greatest film-makers of all time. Ingmar Bergman said of
Tarkovsky: "Tarkovsky for me is the greatest [director], the one who invented a
new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection,
life as a dream."